Best Ways To Cut Your Bathroom’s Renovation Costs

The bathroom often gets short shrift when it comes to full-house renovation plans. If you’ve just bought a new home, you’re far more likely to spend what’s left of your budget on beautifying your living room and bedroom, as well as upgrading your kitchen to the practical, beautified space you deserve after a lifetime of dingy rental kitchenettes.

But the bathroom is a vital space in your home, and one which deserves just as much attention as any other. Your groggy early-morning pre-commute self will thank you for putting some thought into bringing your bathroom up to scratch though your wallet might not, if the average cost of bathroom renovations is anything to go by. The good news is that you don’t have to accept eye-watering quotes or settle for a soulless, bargain-basement design. With some strategy, creativity and patience, it’s entirely possible to give your bathroom a big lift while keeping costs down.

So, what can you do to bring these costs down without impacting the finished results of your new en-lovely-fied bathroom space?

Buy Second-Hand

First, a piece of advice you’ll have heard a thousand times before, and which applies just as readily to bathrooms as it does to living rooms, electronics and just about everything else: go second-hand for the big purchases.

This doesn’t mean “buy the first cheap sink you see on Facebook Marketplace”, mind! Rather, it means you should take the opportunity to look for discounted products over paying a premium for showroom fare. Many homeowners, developers and even suppliers sell off bathroom units, fittings and tiles that are perfectly functional but can’t be listed as “new”. These often include display models, surplus stock or B-stock with minor cosmetic flaws that won’t even be visible once installed.

This approach can work to your benefit in unexpected ways, too – as you may be able to find B-stock that would otherwise be way out of budget. A freestanding bath, for example, might normally set you back four figures, but surplus or lightly used items could slash that price dramatically.

At the very least, some pre-owned baths and sinks, with a good clean, can provide some vintage colour to an otherwise dull space. If you’re going for character, second-hand is often better than brand new. You might even strike lucky with surplus bathroom tiles from a fellow doer-upper, allowing you to complete a feature wall for a fraction of the usual cost.

Focus on Fixtures

A lot of the cost from new bathroom renovations comes from labour associated with fitting tiles and big plumbing jobs. If you can avoid altering the basic “plumbing footprint” of your bathroom, meaning the position of your sink, bath, shower and toilet you’ll already be saving hundreds. The heavy lifting of moving pipes or drains around is where renovation budgets spiral.

Instead, small works, like changing fixtures or adding your own mod cons, can make a major difference to the feel of your bathroom without incurring much additional cost – many being achievable in a DIY sense. Faucets, flushers and door handles are obvious and inexpensive options here, and with just a screwdriver or spanner you can update them yourself.

You can also make a surprisingly big intervention with respect to your bathroom mirror. Bathroom mirrors with built-in lighting not only make your bathroom more practical, especially during darker mornings, but also bring a contemporary edge which could complement or play off other aspects of your chosen design. Add a matching towel rail or even swap out the shower head for a rainfall version, and suddenly your bathroom feels “new” without requiring a builder.

Even details like replacing grout or silicone around tiles and baths can refresh the entire room. It’s inexpensive, relatively easy with the right tools, and makes a bathroom look far cleaner.

Just Grab a Paint Roller

Another option to consider is just painting the bathroom. Paint is not a very expensive material at all in the grand scheme of things – and parts of your bathroom will invariably be bare wall, as opposed to tiling. Why not just grab a paint brush and switch up the colours in your bathroom?

For the cost of an afternoon (and some bathroom-suitable water-resistant paint), you can have a fresh-feeling space ten times more comfortable than the one you moved into. Lighter colours can make small bathrooms feel bigger, while darker or richer tones can bring a touch of luxury without the price tag.

If you’re feeling bolder, you can even paint existing tiles with the right primer and specialist paint. This can save hundreds compared to ripping them out and retiling. A patterned stencil or colour-blocking approach can also add interest, giving your bathroom the kind of “designer” look you’d expect to pay much more for.

Do the Work in Stages

One of the most effective ways to keep your bathroom renovation costs under control is to avoid trying to do everything at once. Instead, consider breaking the project into stages that can be tackled over time. This approach helps you spread out expenses and allows you to prioritise the most important updates first.

For example, you might start with cosmetic changes like repainting the walls and replacing fixtures, then move on to bigger investments such as upgrading the shower enclosure or vanity unit when funds allow. Doing the work in stages also gives you time to hunt down bargains and rethink design decisions as the room evolves.

If you’re handy, tackling some of the prep work yourself – like removing old tiles, stripping wallpaper, or even demolishing an outdated vanity – can also save hundreds on labour. These are time-consuming tasks, but they don’t always require specialist skills. By handling the grunt work and leaving the technical elements (like plumbing or electrics) to professionals, you can cut the final bill significantly.

Another bonus of staging your renovation is that you’ll minimise disruption to your household. Instead of losing access to your bathroom for weeks, you’ll keep it functional while you gradually transform it. This is particularly useful in homes with only one bathroom, where going without for long stretches isn’t really an option.

Final Thoughts

Renovating your bathroom doesn’t need to be a financial black hole. By focusing on second-hand bargains, upgrading smaller fixtures, wielding a paint roller, and keeping an eye out for clever savings, you can create a bathroom that feels fresh, functional and genuinely enjoyable to use – all without emptying your savings account.

After all, the bathroom is where you start and end your day. Making it a place that feels clean, stylish and welcoming is worth the effort, even if you achieve it with resourceful budgeting rather than a contractor’s blank cheque.

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